B&B The Verhaegen

Beyond the Vrijdagmarkt's weekend crowds, The Verhaegen occupies an 18th-century patrician mansion on Oude Houtlei, its neoclassical facade and period salons preserved under a five-star B&B designation rare for Ghent.

Six rooms each carry distinct period detailing — painted ceilings, marble fireplaces, parquet floors — while bathrooms run to modern fittings. Breakfast is served in the ground-floor salon at a communal table, timing arranged with guests the evening before.

The address places guests midway between the Gravensteen castle and the Stam city museum, with Ghent's canal-side restaurant strip a four-minute walk south. With only six rooms, availability closes quickly over summer festival weekends.